There are many things that can leave someone breathless, aside from grinding out a triathlon or spending time at high altitudes. The sight of a bride on her wedding day may take the breath from a groom-to-be. Witnessing an orchestra play a Mozart symphony in a grand concert hall might do it as well. Perhaps the sight of your baby being born might do the trick.
But sometimes it's not a life event at all, but the mere sight of something awe-inspiring. You stand before it, a chill comes over you and your breath becomes shallow and measured. One can only imagine the early settlers making their way across the American West and riding up to the rim of the Grand Canyon for the first time. The feeling they must have gotten is likely similar to what a modern tourist might feel when faced with that same breathtaking vista. The Grand Canyon makes the cut on our list, along with nine other breathtaking views around the globe.
The expanse of New York City's urban jungle is something that's left many tourists over the years confused and maybe a little intimidated. Street level is where the action is, but if you really want to take it all in and leave your breath behind, there's no better way than to take the long elevator ride to the observation deck of the Empire State Building (ESB).
Since the fall of the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, the ESB has regained its status as the tallest building in New York. This National Historic landmark climbs more than a quarter of a mile straight up, with the observation deck located 1,050 feet (320 meters) above the city streets on the 86th floor. The view from the deck has taken the breath away from more than 110 million visitors since it opened in 1931 [source: Esbnyc.com]. The deck offers a 360 degree vista of the 230 buildings that are at least 30 stories high, including an unparalleled view of the chrome spires of the legendary Chrysler Building.
What the Empire State Building offers New York tourists, the Eiffel Tower matches in Paris. And while the City of Lights doesn't have the kind of jaw-dropping skyscrapers that Gotham does, it's still a breathtaking view once you take the elevator ride up the tower to the observation deck. At 984 feet (320 meters), the tower is the second tallest structure in France, behind the Millau Viaduct, and was the tallest in the world until the completion of the Empire State Building.
While there are 1,671 steps that go to the top of the tower, visitors can only climb to the first and second tiers at 189 feet ( 57 meters) and 379 feet (115 meters) . In order to go to the top lookout for the most breathtaking view, you need to ride one of two elevators that make the trip every eight minutes -- about 100 per day [source: Tour-eiffel.fr]. For the best viewing, show up about an hour before sunset and take in the "magic hour" before the sea of yellow lights come to life as darkness falls.
The shining star of the National Park Service program in the United States, the Grand Canyon hosts more than 5 million visitors each year [source: NPS.gov]. Standing on the edge of the canyon rim is something that can only be fully understood by doing it yourself. No words can aptly describe, and no photograph can fully capture the sheer size and magnitude of the natural world wonder. It truly does take your breath away and is something that must be experienced in person.
The canyon is a jaw-dropping 277 miles (445.7 kilometers) long and 18 miles (29 kilometers) wide at its widest point and we can thank the Colorado River for forming it over a period of about 3 to 6 million years [source: Explorethecanyon.com] For a little more solitude, try venturing out to the more distant North Rim. This section of the canyon is no less breathtaking, and gets about 10 percent the number of visitors as the more heavily frequented South Rim.
This view takes your breath away in more than one way. Not only will you feel like you're at the top of the world at the summit of Nepal's Mount Everest, but the incredible altitude will literally leave you breathless. Everest was formed about 60 million years ago and is the tallest peak (from sea level) on the planet at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) [source: Mounteverest.net]. Because of the extreme weather conditions at the summit, climbers rarely attempt to complete the ascent outside of the months of May and June, when the jet stream is pushed north.
If you do choose to make the ascent, you may come across some dead bodies along the way. There are about 120 bodies of those that the mountain has claimed on your path to the top -- they've been impossible to remove. But don't let that dissuade you. If you're an experienced mountaineer, you can be one of the 150 people that attempt to reach the summit each year. Once you're at the top, have your camera ready, because you'll only be there for a few minutes before you start your descent.
